By the Dozen
by herecomestheboom
Summary: They were given a dozen eggs to help defend their world against invading creatures who could summon lightning from the sky, burn down forests with ease, freeze with merciless blizzards, and much…much more. Luckily for the heroes, the gifts hadn't been Chao eggs.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! I know I haven't updated Footwork in a while, for those who know about it (I'm about halfway done with the chapter) but this plot bunny has been on my mind for a while! I really like pokémon, so I want to try this out!**

* * *

Knuckles stifled a yawn as he shuffled through the thick foliage, the full moon above help lighting the grassy path. The drowsy echidna weaved around a plush bush and stepped over a raised root, tossing a grape into his awaiting mouth.

The burst of flavor was expected of his favorite midnight snack. It had been worth the short trek to find some vines on the island. With the cluster of grapes in one hand, Knuckles lifted a drooping branch out of the way, stepping out into a breezy clearing.

He chewed on another grape as he shuffled toward the concrete alter standing proud in the middle, the tall structure holding the ever-shining Master Emerald. The gem thankfully hadn't mysteriously disappeared in his short absence. Eggman had been quiet for a while, but he could never be too careful.

Knuckles approached the alter, climbing the first step, before freezing in place. All grogginess drained out of his system to be replaced with suspicion. He felt eyes on him, the stare boring into the back of his skull.

It couldn't be Sonic or Tails because they would've announced their presence right away, same with Rouge. They wouldn't visit at the dead of night anyway. Eggman…the foreign tenseness here didn't feel like an Eggman attack. This was a complete stranger…on _his_ Angel Island.

Squaring his jaw, Knuckles dropped the grapes and whirled around, yelling, "Who's out there? Come out!" Surprise then seized him, eyes widening at what he saw.

He didn't know what shocked him the most: the fact that the stranger hadn't been hiding at all, in full-view under the moonlight, or the fact that the stranger…wasn't a person at all.

It looked more like a Chao than anything, floating in the middle of the clearing with tiny fluttering wings. It had a green body, a couple of antennae, and bright blue eyes that met his without fear.

Dangling from its slim arms was a small basket, it crudely woven with leaves. Inside were two Chao eggs, one blue and one brown.

Common sense told Knuckles to relax because this was just a new type of Chao that had somehow made it onto his island, but something about this situation felt…off.

Knuckles stiffened once more when the creature slowly floated closer, almost like it was cautious. The echidna's brow furrowed when he could make out dark circles around its eyes, either natural or caused by exhaustion. It could be either because now Knuckles was able to see how poor the other's condition was.

There were dirt splotches on its body, its eyes were sunken in, and its breathing was shaky along with its arms, trembling from strain.

This was too weird. Knuckles put a halting hand up out of caution. He was dealing with an unknown here, and he had to keep the Master Emerald out of any danger. "Don't come any closer!" he shouted sharply.

His words seemed to startle it, the hovering creature abruptly stopping mid-air. It blinked owlishly before nodding. "Bi…c-celebi."

Knuckles had never heard a Chao say _that_ before. All they spoke were their species name and incomprehensible gibberish. Knuckles didn't understand this thing either, but…there was an intelligence in those weary eyes that he wasn't used to.

The creature's voice was soft and breathy. "Celebi cel…" It stared at him for a couple more seconds, Knuckles staring incredulously back, before lowering itself down to the ground. He watched in silence as it let go of the handle of the basket, gently removing the eggs one at a time. They were situated in a way so they would lean against each other, keeping them upright.

When it finished, the creature grabbed the basket again and hovered away from the ground once more. It then backed away a few meters from the eggs, saying, "C-Cel bi bi."

Knuckles still had no clue what it was saying, but action spoke louder than words here. He risked a question, knowing that the creature at least understood him. "Are those eggs…for me?" A subtle smile grew on its face, and it nodded. "Why?"

The smile vanished as it looked away, something akin to pain in its eyes.

That didn't bode well.

Knuckles glanced at the eggs before gazing at his visitor, his mind nothing but a jumbled whirlwind at this point. "What _are_ you?"

It looked at him again, gesturing to itself with one hand. "Celebi."

"Cele-" Knuckles gasped when there was a bright light, raising a hand to protect his eyes. After the intense flash died down, he refocused on the creature only to find empty air. "What?!" Knuckles searched all around, finding nothing but moonlit flowers and rustling leaves. "Where did it…"

Knuckles put his hand on his forehead, processing what in the _hell_ just happened. This Chao-looking thing just dropped off a couple eggs and left a _ton_ of questions behind.

His gaze drifted to the two eggs. He eyed them before shaking his head. "This can't be real," he whispered. "I have to be asleep, or those grapes are making me hallucinate_._"

He needed to go to sleep, or wake up, or-

His brain was working too hard at this hour. Without another glance at the eggs or the suspect grapes, Knuckles climbed the stars of the alter. He didn't need to worry about them because they would be gone once the sun was up.

* * *

The morning sun's rays peaked over the horizon, and they were still there.

Knuckles was sitting on the bottom step, staring hard at the two gifts. Everything last night had been real. The Celebi, the eggs, the teleportation, _everything._ The grapes were still laying where he had left them.

The echidna deeply frowned as he stood up, approaching the blue and brown contrasting the sea of grassy green. A dark part of his mind had the idea to dump them far away on the island so he wouldn't have to deal with any of the craziness that could ensue.

However, most of him was curious. He wanted to see the Chao hatch _if_ they were even Chao. Because the creature – _Celebi_ – had him seriously doubting that. But the eggs did look like they belonged to Chao, so…

Standing by them now, Knuckles peered down at the eggs. He narrowed his eyes and reached down to touch the brown one, but his breath caught in his throat when the egg started to _glow._

"Gah!" Knuckles backpedaled so quickly that he stumbled over his own feet, crashing to the ground. He couldn't take his eyes off the shining egg, it glowing brighter and brighter until- "What in the world is _that?_" Because it most definitely was _not _a Chao.

In the egg's place was a brown shrew, but it was _way_ too big to be a regular shrew and too small to be a Mobian one. It didn't have fur either, the texture of its skin looking weirdly hard and rough.

Knuckles' heartrate skyrocketed when dark beady eyes trained on him. Its head tilted, and it squeaked out, "Sand?"

"Stay over there!" Knuckles ordered, thrown completely for a loop once more. However, unlike Celebi, this thing curled into a call and slowly rolled over to him. "What did I say?! Don't make me-" He didn't get the rest of his threat out, for the creature softly bumped into his leg.

It uncurled onto its stomach, staring at Knuckles again with that same head tilt. "Sandshrew rew?"

Knuckles knew that he had to calm himself down. He shouldn't get riled up over this…this _baby_. He'd seen stranger creatures before. Granted, those hadn't seemingly _transformed_ from their eggs, but still. He was a warrior. He couldn't be scared of a glorified hamster.

Taking a deep breath, Knuckles gave the creature a once over before hesitantly poking it on the head, feeling hard plated skin.

Its tail perked, and there was a small smile. "Shrew! Sandshrew!"

Reminded of Celebi's speech pattern, Knuckles pulled back his hand a bit and asked, "Sandshrew? Is that what you are?"

"Rew rew!" The shrew leaned forward to nuzzle his palm before being distracted by the bunch of grapes on the steps. "Sandshrew?" It pulled away and wobblily trotted over to the fruits. A little clawed hand plucked one, and the shrew bit into half of it. Sandshrew cried out in what Knuckles could only guess was joy before sitting down and enjoying the rest of the bundle.

The echidna had no words really. His mouth was gaping, but nothing came out. What could he say? He had been dumped with two potential creatures he had _never_ seen before by a green almost-Chao.

Just…why _him?_

Something in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and Knuckles turned his head to see the other egg shining brightly. He mentally prepared himself when the light faded away. He was glad he did, because the creature that hatched looked _nothing_ like Sandshrew.

It looked like a dog with its long tail, blue fur, and pointed ears. It was standing on two paws though as it took in its surroundings.

"Sand?" Knuckles _didn't_ startle when Sandshrew was back at his side again, looking at the newcomer. It smiled and called out, "Shrew shrew!"

The dog look-a-like only then noticed them. It looked over the shrew before brightening a bit at Knuckles. "Ri?" The pup took a few stumbling steps forward until a harmless butterfly fluttered too close to its nose. An expression of absolute _terror_ crossed its face as the walk morphed into a clumsy sprint. "R-Rio!"

Knuckles grunted in surprise when the pup basically slammed into his side, latching to his arm with a trembling grip. It whimpered when the butterfly flew closer. "R-Riolu…"

Sandshrew blinked up at the insect before jumping in the air to try to swipe at it. The butterfly flew away unscathed, and the shrew ended up on its back.

The pup, Riolu, stopped shaking, but it was still glued to the echidna's arm. "Lu?" It peered at the shrew in concern.

"Rew!" Sandshrew rocked back and forth until it ended back on its stomach. The smile returned. "Shrew shrew rew!"

Knuckles might not be crazy yet, but he would be well on the road if this kept up. Chao were one thing, but this was too much by himself. He wasn't going to deal with these things alone, hell no.

The echidna hopped to his feet, catching Riolu off-guard enough for it to let go of his arm. When two curious gazes looked up at Knuckles, he pointed to the ground and sternly barked, "Stay _here_ until I get back." Riolu drew back at his harsh tone while Sandshrew just cocked its head.

Knuckles turned and marched up the steps of the alter, going to retrieve the communicator he had up there. Sonic and Tails would surely get a kick out of this, and they would come up here to take the unknown creatures out of his hands to find out what in the world they were.

At the top, he bypassed the glistening Master emerald, instead going over and picking up the circular device on the ground next to it.

Knuckles palmed the communicator and pressed a button on its side. "Sonic? You there?" Nothing but static filled the air. After a few seconds, Knuckles tried again louder, "Sonic!" Still no answer. His impatience was wearing thin, but then he realized how early in the morning it is and how Sonic would be dead to the world for a couple more hours or so.

Knuckles inwardly groaned. He could hold out, though. All he needed to do was keep an eye on those two, and-

"Sand?" Knuckles whirled around to find Sandshrew standing next to the Master Emerald, peering up at the massive gem. A small clawed hand was reaching out.

"Don't touch that!" Knuckles stomped over to the shrew, not wanting to take any risks. Sandshrew paused and blinked up at him, then it continued to reach. Knuckles glared. "You stubborn little-!" After sliding the communicator into his glove, Knuckles scooped the shrew up and tucked it under his arm.

Sandshrew wriggled happily in his grasp. "Rew!"

Before Knuckles got to tell the other that it _wasn't_ supposed to enjoy this, he saw Riolu climbing up the last step. It gaped at the big jewel before focusing on Knuckles. The pup looked between him and the smiling Sandshrew.

"Lu?" Riolu strolled over and raised its arms in the air. Those big eyes were pleading. "Rio ri…"

It wanted to be picked up because Sandshrew had been. Knuckles was dealing with _actual_ toddlers, and yeah, he needed Sonic to wake up.

Just so the pup wouldn't cry obnoxiously, Knuckles grunted and scooped up Riolu as well, tucking it securely. There was a quiet 'awoo' in response, and he felt a wagging tail brushing against his back.

"Stop being cute, dammit," Knuckles grumbled as he went back down the stairs.

He placed the two back on the grassy ground once he reached the bottom. Riolu seemed a little upset while Sandshrew was distracted by a dandelion.

"Hey." Knuckles plucked the fuzzy plant and held it up, regaining the shrew's attention. He made sure both of them were listening. "You two can understand me, right?"

Riolu meekly nodded, and Sandshrew smiled. "Rew rew!"

The echidna squatted down to get at their level, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. He hardened his tone. "That rock up there is _mine_, so don't _ever_ touch it, got it?"

Even Sandshrew seemed a little put-off now. Eventually, they both nodded.

"Good." Knuckles patted both of them once on their heads. He then gave Sandshrew the dandelion, and it perked right up with a thankful chirrup. Knuckles sighed as he stood back up. "Now what am I gonna do until…"

He trailed off when a muffled growl reached his ears. He glanced down, seeing Riolu cradle its stomach. Knuckles couldn't be surprised that it was hungry. It had just hatched and hadn't eaten anything yet, unlike Sandshrew.

The grape vines were close by…

"Let's get some food." Knuckles walked away, gesturing for them to follow. "And stay close so you don't get lost."

"Shrew!"

"Rio…"

One they left the clearing, Riolu took his command a little too seriously. It huddled into his side, holding his wrist as they trudged through the foliage. Knuckles let the pup hang off of him only because he really, _really_, didn't want to deal with it throwing a tantrum.

Riolu was tense, shying away from anything and everything that moved as they went along. Sandshrew was the opposite. It examined everything from colorful flowers to the rustling leaves overhead. Knuckles had to call the shrew back a few times because it had drifted too far away. Sandshrew was noisy too as it scampered around, making all kinds of sounds while Riolu was basically mute.

So when things had gotten suspiciously quiet, Knuckles searched around for the shrew only to come up empty. "Sandshrew?" He slowed to a stop when there was no answer. His eyes scanned the green shrubbery around, trying again, "Sandshrew, the hell are you?"

Riolu was looking as well with a concerned frown. "Ri lu?"

Knuckles inwardly groaned, his patience slipping. Did Sandshrew _actually_ understand him? Because it was times like these that he was doubting it.

The echidna opened his mouth to shout again, but there was a rustling above him and a weight crashed down on his head.

Knuckles stumbled forward with a gasp while raspy trills rung out. It sounded suspiciously like laughter. "Shrew shrew!"

Ignoring how Riolu hid its smile, somehow finding this _amusing_, Knuckles grabbed Sandshrew before it jumped off his head and grated on his nerves even more.

He held the shrew with two hands so they were face-to-face. Sandshrew acted like his scowl wasn't there, happily waving its arms. "Sand rew rew!"

Knuckles took a deep breath before he did anything drastic. _Babies, babies, they're babies. It was playing._ "Look," he started, "If you do that again, we will turn around without getting _anything_ to eat." Sandshrew slumped at that, glancing at Riolu when it whined. Knuckles mentally patted himself on the back. "You don't want your friend to be hungry, right?"

Sandshrew shook its head.

"Good." Knuckles set the shrew down. "Now _stay_ where I can see you."

"Shrew!" it answered before going to bother a zigzagging butterfly.

Knuckles ran a hand down his face, glad that only _one_ of the creatures was hyper beyond limits.

He continued on with Riolu by his side, and surprisingly, he hadn't had to call on Sandshrew anymore. It stayed within sight while sating its limitless curiosity.

It wasn't long until they reached the vines. The plants were wrapped around sturdy trunks and branches of nearby trees for support, carrying many bunches of grapes. The vibrant purple sharply contrasted the green and brown surrounding them.

"Shrew shrew…" Sandshrew was gazing on in awe, Riolu doing the same with wide eyes.

Knuckles went over to the nearest cluster, standing on his tiptoes to reach the fruit. With a jerk, he separated the grapes from the vine. He tried one to test its ripeness, and sweetness burst on his tongue. They were good.

The echidna held them out for Riolu to take. "Here." The pup shuffled up to him and gently grasped the bundle. It simply stared for a moment before plucking one and tentatively trying it.

There was a gasp and a bright smile. "Lu lu riolu!"

Sandshrew was smiling as well. "Shrew!" It then glanced inquisitively up at Knuckles, pointing at the hanging fruits. "Sand sand rew?"

It didn't take a genius to know what the shrew was asking. "You already had some earlier, but…" Knuckles searched for a smaller bunch. There were plenty grapes around here, so giving more away wasn't going to hurt. He popped some off and gave it away.

Sandshrew did a little dance before plopping down and shoving the grapes into its mouth. Riolu sat as well, enjoying the fruit at a more sedate pace.

Knuckles grabbed a few grapes himself, chewing languidly as he observed the two. They were communicating to each other between bites; it was obvious that there was no language barrier between them. Were they the same species, despite looking completely different from each other?

Another thought came to the echidna as he looked them over, finding no hints that specified their gender. Now he was too curious to let the question go unanswered.

"Hey, Riolu." The pup looked up at him with perked ears. Knuckles swallowed a grape and asked, "Are you a male or a female?"

Riolu tilted its head at him in slight confusion, and Sandshrew was now paying attention with puffed out cheeks.

After a moment of thought, Knuckles gestured to himself. "I'm male, are you?"

It seemed to comprehend then, answering with a nod. "Rio!"

Knuckles glanced at Sandshrew, raising a brow. "And you?"

The shrew shook its head in a negative and chirruped, "Rew rew!" Riolu flinched away when some grape juice flew out of the open mouth.

Knuckles hummed as he went back to eating, wondering what Celebi had been. It had a high-pitched voice, but he couldn't go off of that because Sandshrew's was low and raspy.

Speaking of Celebi, where had it gone, and where had it _come_ from? Knuckles never seen anything like it or the two in front of him before.

He doubted he'd get the answer to those questions anytime soon.

Knuckles was thrown out of his thoughts when static emitted from his glove, followed by a familiar voice. _"Knuckles? You there?"_

The echidna was surprised that Sonic was up this early, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He took out the communicator and responded. "Yeah. I tried contacting you a while ago, but I guess you were still dead to the world."

"_Sure was! I think I heard you calling me too."_

Riolu and Sandshrew were peering up at him at this point. Knuckles disregarded them, frowning. "Then why didn't you respond?!"

"_Uh, well, funny story-"_

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Nevermind that! Look, I need you and Tails to get up here because these strange creatures-"

"_Creatures?"_ He glared into the air when he was cut off, oblivious to the irony of it. _"You have some too?!"_

Too.

_Too._

Knuckles wanted their lives to be normal for _once._

* * *

**Should I continue this?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all of the support! I'm going to continue it because it's **_**so**_** fun to write.**

* * *

Fragments of a familiar voice echoed in his dreams, but Sonic wasn't ready enough to answer his echidna friend. He was too tired, his bed was too warm, and it was too early to give up sleep now. Knuckles was going to have to wait a couple more hours.

Sonic mumbled incomprehensibly as he burrowed his head into a pillow, wrapping his arms around and appreciating the soothing heat it gave off. He relaxed against the mattress and was about to sleep the rest of the early morning away until the pillow in his grasp _moved._

More confused than anything, the blue hedgehog lethargically blinked his eyes open and glanced down. He saw grassy-green fur, flower petals, and beady little eyes looking back at him.

All thoughts of sleep were shoved to the back of his mind as Sonic gasped, putting as much distance as he could between himself and whatever _that _was.

It turned out that he couldn't move much because Sonic's frantic legs quickly tangled up on the blanket, and he had to stop panicking before he ended up on the floor.

Sonic calmed his breathing as much as he could and rubbed his drowsy eyes. The not-pillow was unfortunately still there, blinking at him with a twitching nose.

Sonic gaped like a fish until his groggy brain allowed him to say, "Uh…hi?" He didn't know why he said anything. It was unlikely that this faux-pillow, hedgehog, bush-looking thing would actually answer.

A smile grew on its furry white face. "Shay! Shaymin!"

Oh.

Sonic pinched himself and instantly felt the pain. Okay, this wasn't a dream. Smiling unsurely, he cautiously reached toward the strange creature he had _never_ seen before. "Hey, little guy…" The twitching nose sniffed one of his fingers. "Where'd you come from?"

He froze when he heard footsteps that surely didn't come from the living bush in front him. Sonic hastily scanned his room and gawked when something rounded the corner of his bed.

While the faux-pillow looked similar to a hedgehog, Sonic believed that this one looked closer to a weasel. But then again, this was the first time he'd seen a non-Mobian weasel with bright orange fur and…_two_ tails?

"Bui bui!" It rasped as it waddled over to the bedside. Sonic just now noticed that it was wearing his too big shoes. "Bui-" Then the weasel tripped over its own feet, limbs flailing as it fell to the floor with a thud.

The living bush scurried over a shocked Sonic's lap and looked down at the other. It snickered – the sound similar to a wind chime – while the weasel rolled around on its back, laughing as well.

This was happening now, and Sonic was going to go with the flow. It had been so peaceful lately, so...something like this was bound to happen eventually.

Sonic managed a brief chuckle, all drowsiness gone at this point. "That was some fall! You're not hurt, are ya?" he asked, testing if they could understand him.

The weasel kicked off Sonic's signature shoes and hopped to its feet, wiping off imaginary dust. "Buizel!" it answered with a head shake.

The communication was definitely one-way, but that was better than nothing.

"Buizel, huh?" Sonic had no idea what that word meant, but he had to call it something, didn't he? "Is that your name?" Their speaking mannerisms could be similar to chao.

It grinned, tails swishing. "Zel bui!"

Sonic assumed that was a yes. He gently petted the green hedgehog in his lap, surprised at how soft it was. "And you're…Shaymin, right?"

"Min!" Shaymin chirped in response before focusing on Buizel when it attempted to climb onto the bed. The smile morphed into a smirk as Shaymin scampered right in the weasel's way. It snickered as it nudged Buizel's reaching hands away. "Shay min min!"

Buizel didn't seem upset. Instead, it wore a similar smirk before running around to the other side of the bed and attempting to climb. Shaymin met it there and headbutted the other back down, chirruping victoriously. "Shay shay!"

"Bui!"

"Shay!"

Sonic watched, both amused and awed, as they continued their impromptu game. They had a massive play drive it seemed. He blinked in surprise when Buizel suddenly jumped into the air, over Shaymin, and onto the bed beside Sonic.

It stuck its tongue out playfully at the aghast green hedgehog until Shaymin tackled the weasel, it crashing back with a yelp. Shaymin seemed proud of itself as it sat on Buizel's stomach and grinned at Sonic.

Sonic chuckled, thinking what in the _world_ he was getting into. "Yeah, you pinned 'em all right, but Buizel still won." Shaymin stared at him in surprise. "You couldn't keep 'em off the bed!"

Buizel laughed victoriously while Shaymin pouted. The walking bush climbed onto Buizel's head when the weasel sat back up, nipping at the tuffs of fur there. Buizel was too smug to care.

Untangling his legs from the blanket, Sonic got out of the bed and stretched because it was about time to share this new…_discovery_ with Tails. He was probably still asleep, but Sonic was sure that he wouldn't mind this early wake up call.

"Bui?"

After slipping on his trusty shoes, the blue hero glanced back to meet two curious gazes. "I'm about to go wake my friend up, so why don't you guys stay here until-" The rest of Sonic's words died when Shaymin quickly jumped from Buizel's head to his, chirping. Sonic smiled. "I guess you're comin' along! How about you, Buizel?"

"Zel zel!" The orange weasel clambered off the bed and bounded over to Sonic's side. "Bui!"

"Alright, let's go!" Sonic strolled over to his bedroom door, hearing Buizel's smaller steps behind him. He opened it and stepped into the empty hallway. Both of the creatures were curious as they looked on.

Sonic led them down the hall, toward another closed door that should be hiding his kid brother. "Tails?" The hero knocked only to be met with silence. "Tails, you in there?" When there still wasn't an answer, Sonic cracked opened the door and peeked into the room. There were small knick-knacks stung about, an empty bed, and no hint of Tails anywhere.

"Izel?" Buizel peered around the anthro to look inside.

"Guess he's not here!" Sonic closed the door back, having a good idea where the kit was. If Tails' room was empty this early, then he had either woken up to work in his workshop, or he had fallen asleep in that second home of his. Sonic didn't know how many times he had found Tails snoring on top of half-finished gadgets.

Sonic continued down the hall, beckoning for Buizel to follow. "Got a good idea where he is, though!" The home he and Tails shared was quaint and cozy, nothing too lavish. Sonic reached the living room in a few strides, heading for the front door. "He's in for a surprise, but I'm sure he'll warm up to you guys soon enough!"

Shaymin chirruped in response while Buizel was too busy looking around at the furniture to answer.

However, both of the creatures were completely entranced when Sonic flung open the door and stepped outside. He shielded his eyes from the bright morning rays, being greeted by the sight of the ever pleasant Mystic Ruins. The house rested along the edge of the ruins, surrounded by green grasses. To the right were lush trees that led deeper into the forest, and the left eventually led to a cliff that towered above glistening waves.

"Shay shay!" Shaymin swiftly jumped down from Sonic's head and happily skipped into the grass, sniffing through the blades.

Buizel ran out as well, its curious gaze shifting from the towering trees, the blue sky, and lingering on the distant water. It was clearly awed by everything, eyes wide and glistening.

They both ran around, enjoying the fresh air and new sights until Buizel tripped over a tree branch. Not hurt in the slightest, it sprung back up and looked at the brown limb in awe. Buizel picked it up and waved it around, smiling. "Bui buizel!"

Sonic never thought he'd see someone get so excited about a stick, but here he was.

"Bui!" Buizel bounded over to where Shaymin was, showing off the item. Shaymin didn't seem to care until Buizel playfully poked it with the stick, gaining the other's attention.

Shaymin cocked its head before grinning. Before the weasel could react, the small hedgehog pounced and snatched the stick. It ran away, the branch secured in its snickering mouth. Buizel cried out in surprise before giving chase.

While they enjoyed their little game of keep-away, Sonic headed in the direction of the workshop. It was the same size – if not a little bigger – as the house and was positioned closer to the cliff, next to a runway for the Tornado.

He called over his shoulder, "I'm going over there if you guys wanna follow!" Shaymin slowed down at his words, and Buizel took the opportunity grab the stick. It lifted the branch victoriously; the walking bush didn't give up, though. Shaymin let itself be lifted, refusing to let go and lose the game.

Buizel blinked before shrugging and strolling over to Sonic with a satisfied smile. Shaymin was just hanging on for the ride.

Guess that ended in a tie. Sonic chuckled as he trotted over to the entrance of the workshop, waiting until his new friends caught up to open the door.

When he did, he was met with a desperate plead. "Rufflet, _please_ put down the welding laser!"

Those were the _last_ words Sonic expected to hear upon entering. With both concern and curiosity swirling within him, Sonic ignored all the workbenches, tools, and scrap metal laying around in favor of searching for Tails. He didn't have to look for long, and his jaw nearly dropped at what he saw.

Tails was standing at the far end of the workshop, staring up at a bird that was holding a welding laser that was blowing out hot flames. Its white feathered head was tilted down at the kit, showing confusion.

"Vul?"

Sonic's attention drifted downwards at the unfamiliar sound to find a red fox with _many_ tails sitting at Tails' feet, glancing back at them.

It was safe to say that Sonic hadn't been the only one to meet new friends today.

"Huh? Vulpix, what is it?" Tails had turned around at this point, following the small kit's line of sight. Tails brightened at the sight of the blue blur. "Son…oh." Then his eyes widened when he zeroed in on Shaymin and Buizel.

Sonic waved halfheartedly, still stunned about what was happening. "Uh, hey bud. What's-" He was interrupted by a loud clatter. The welding laser had fallen to the floor, shutting off, and the small bird was flying right for him. "Whoa!"

He unconsciously stepped back when it stopped right in front of his face, wings flapping. There was an inquisitive frown on its beak. "Ruff?" Then it swooped down through the air to where Buizel was standing, cocking its head. "Ruff rufflet?"

Buizel stared back up at it before smiling, holding its unoccupied paw up in a wave. "Bui buizel!" Shaymin gave a peppy greeting as well, but the sound was muffled by the stick still secured in its mouth.

The flying creature blinked, its frown soon morphing into bright smile. "Ruff ruff!" It maneuvered around them and flew outside. Buizel and Shaymin glanced at each other before forgetting about their competition, running back out after the flying one.

"Follow them out!" Tails ordered a speechless Sonic while he hovered over. Sonic didn't hesitate, sensing how frantic the kid was. Tails exited a second after he did. He got ready to close the door, but the red fox hadn't followed. It was sniffing the forgotten welding laser.

"'Vulpix!" Tails called out. When the fox glimpsed up, Tails beckoned it over. "Come on! Let's play outside!"

"Pix!" The fox trotted to them, and Tails shut the door to the workshop as soon as he could. Vulpix wasn't fazed by the slam. It calmly sniffed Sonic before going along its merry way, approaching the other three. Rufflet was circling in the air, cooing happily, while Buizel and Shaymin watched it in awe.

At Tails' relieved sigh, Sonic incredulously watched the creatures interact, asking, "So, you got 'em too, huh?"

"Yeah…" Tails was equally as awed. He shook his head in disbelief. "It's crazy! I woke up in the workshop to find those two staring at me! I don't know how they got in without waking me up, but…"

Sonic nodded, putting a hand on his hip. "Same thing happened to me." Although Tails was a _much_ lighter sleeper than he was. "They woke me out of my sleep!"

"So, you have no idea where they came from?"

"Nope! I'm as blind about this as you are." Sonic rose a brow when Rufflet grounded itself on Vulpix's head, making the fox wobble a bit. "Uh…why did Rufflet have a welding laser?"

Tails deeply exhaled, running a hand through his bangs. "I guess it had been pecking around my stuff when I wasn't looking and turned it on. I tried to take it, but apparently Rufflet thought it was a toy and started flying around with it. I almost got my bangs burned off!"

Sonic couldn't help but to laugh. Tails huffed at him, but he couldn't help it. He always turned to jokes in unfamiliar situations like these. Helps to ease the atmosphere. "Well, now we know to not let these guys around all of the high-tech stuff you got in there. No one wants a bad hair day."

"If only I can convince Rufflet that…" the kit muttered.

Sonic grinned at him before watching the critters once more. Buizel and Shaymin had found another stick to play with, the weasel now running away from its scampering pursuer. Rufflet had taken to the skies, flying around and interestingly not going too far from them. Vulpix was simply basking in the warm sunlight.

"I wonder exactly what they are…" Tails was observing as well, tapping his chin. "I mean, they're similar to regular animals, but I've never seen a bird like Rufflet before or anything like Vulpix."

"Ditto for Buizel and Shaymin." Sonic clicked his tongue in thought. "But maybe Knuckles knows something that we don't?"

"Knuckles?"

"Yeah, I think he was tryin' to contact me on the communicator before I got up."

Tails' face lit up. "That can't be a coincidence! Call him back and see what he wanted!"

The blue blur motioned over back at the house. "I left the communicator in there. I'll be right-" He didn't get to finish his sentence, because there was a sneeze from Vulpix, and there was suddenly _fire_ blazing the grass in front of it.

While Tails and Sonic were shocked speechless, Vulpix was unbothered. It simply rubbed its nose with its paw. Rufflet was circling the small fire in curiosity, and Shaymin took a hesitant step toward the heat but didn't get any closer.

Buizel trotted past Shaymin and eyed the fire. Then, it sprinkled water from its _mouth_ to put out the flames.

The weasel grinned victoriously when Shaymin cheered. Rufflet landed to peck at the charred grass, and Vulpix almost looked disappointed that it couldn't enjoy the heat for longer.

Tails stared for a long moment before saying, "Sonic, go call Knuckles."

"On it." Sonic sped back into the home, his mind whirling. Not only did these little creatures come out of nowhere, but they had _powers_ too? Well, granted, only Vulpix and Buizel showed off, but he wouldn't be surprised at this point if Shaymin could grow flowers or something similar.

He was back in his room in record time, picking up the communicator and speaking into it. "Knuckles? You there?"

It only took a moment for him to get a response. _"Yeah. I tried contacting you a while ago, but I guess you were still dead to the world."_

"Sure was!" Sonic left his bedroom. "I think I heard you calling me too."

"_Then why didn't you respond?!"_

"Uh, well, funny story-"

"_Nevermind that! Look, I need you and Tails to get up here because these strange creatures-"_

Sonic froze midstride when he left the home, eyes wide. "Creatures? You have some too?!" What was going _on_ here?

Knuckles sounded as appalled as he felt. _"Wait, too?"_

"Yeah!" He zoomed over to Tails and told the kit, "Turns out that we're not the only ones with these guys."

Tails gasped. "Seriously?" He leaned closer to the communicator and asked the echidna on the other side, "How many, Knuckles?"

"_Two! A thing called a Celebi delivered its eggs to me last night and just left! Then they hatched this morning and-"_

"Whoa, hold on." Sonic and Tails shared a confused glance before the hedgehog continued, "A Celebi? Eggs? We didn't see any of those!"

"_I guess that makes sense. Celebi could apparently teleport, so it could've just dropped off the eggs and took off. And they probably hatched before you woke up."_

Sonic was a little worried about this Celebi guy. A strange thing teleporting in and out of homes wasn't normal.

Tails must've felt the same way. "Did uh…Celebi tell you anything? Do you know anything about it?"

"_Nope. It's most likely a different species or breed of these things. Looked kinda beat up though. It delivered the eggs for a reason, but it disappeared before I could get any understandable answer."_

Sonic couldn't wrap his mind around all of this. Fortunately for them, the appearance of the creatures hadn't caused some kind of apocalypse, yet, so they had time to figure things out.

Tails' brow furrowed. "Just…what _are_ these things? Do yours have any powers, Knuckles?"

"_What are you talking about? What powers?"_

The duo took that as a no.

Sonic filled him in. "Well, Tails has one that sneezed fire, and I have one that spat water to put it out."

"…_You two still at Mystic Ruins?"_

"Yep!"

"_I'm coming over there. Give me twenty minutes."_

Knuckles hung up.

Sonic slipped the communicator in his glove, grinning. Even though this was out of the blue, these types of surprises always spiced up his life a little bit. "Today's gonna be an interesting day for sure."

"Tell me about it!" Tails scratched the side of his head. "I need to start some research to see if there were any other records of these guys! And maybe even run some tests…" He trailed off when Vulpix strolled over to them. It stopped in front of Tails and pointedly met his gaze. Curious, Tails squatted and asked, "Do you need anything?"

"Pix," it answered, and the hero didn't know how to interpret that until the red fox's stomach growled. Vulpix sat, yipping. "Vul vul."

Comprehension flooded Tails. "Oh! Are you hungry?" Vulpix nodded, and Tails looked at Sonic for help. "Have any guesses on what they eat?"

Sonic had no clue. "Maybe…they're like chao? Pretty sure they can eat almost anything."

"So…bagels?"

The speedster nodded with a snicker. "Bagels." It was the only thing they had that would feed these many mouths anyway. Sonic then called to the ones still in the yard, "Hey! Any of you hungry?"

Buizel and Shaymin ran over as soon as he finished the question. The weasel hopped around at his feet in excitement while Shaymin took residence on his head again, chirruping in affirmation.

Rufflet chirped at it flew over, and Tails held out an arm for it to land. "I think that's a yes." The kit giggled. "But do you think it's a good idea to take them all inside?"

Sonic scoffed, reaching up and scratching the top of Shaymin's head. "I should be asking you that! I don't have to worry about fire foxes and birds destroyin' stuff."

"Right…um." Tails glanced between Vulpix and Rufflet. "Can you two be good for me in there? No fire and breaking things, okay?" The bird twittered, and the small fox silently nodded.

"There you have it!" Sonic wasn't sure how smoothly it would go, but if there was a fire, Buizel could take care of it, and he was fast enough to save whatever Rufflet got its little claws on. Sonic ambled back to the front door. "Let's get to fixin'! I'm getting hungry myself!"

"Bui bui!" Buizel skipped after them, and Tails followed with Vulpix at his heels.

Once inside, the creatures separated from the heroes. Shaymin was sniffing around the floor and furniture, Vulpix eyed the couch before jumping up and laying down on it, Rufflet landed on the arm of the sofa to look around the room, and Buizel somehow found a way to wiggle under the large carpet there. The lump shuffled back and forth until the weasel's head popped back out. It yapped happily.

Sonic chuckled. "It's safe to say that they can entertain themselves." They couldn't keep them unsupervised though. A mess was the last thing they need. "I'll stay out here to watch over 'em."

"Good idea." Tails was about to go to the kitchen. "What kind of spreads should I do?"

Sonic shrugged, plopping down on the couch opposite to Vulpix. "Just do half of them cream cheese and the other half jam." He smiled when Shaymin pounced on the moving lump, earning a surprised yelp. "Don't think they'll mind."

Tails nodded and left for the kitchen.

"Ruff?" Rufflet saw him leave and spread its wings for flight.

Sonic held up a hand. The kitchen was definitely a no-no for now. "Don't worry, little guy! Tails is comin' back with food! Just wait a bit, 'kay?"

Rufflet tilted its head and tweeted before hopping off the arm and settling beside Vulpix. It leaned into the other, and the fox allowed it. Maybe the bird didn't seek out destruction like they had previously thought.

"Shay shaymin!" The little bush jumped into Sonic's lap and spun around a few times, smiling up at him.

Sonic smiled back, scratching under its chin. "You got a bunch of energy, don't ya?" Shaymin laughed before playfully nipping at his fingers. "If only I could ask you what you guys are…" Sonic muttered as he entertained the critter. He did this for a while until he realized this his other friend had been too quiet lately.

"Buizel?" Sonic called out, looking around the living room. There was no sign of it. "Where are-" His ears perked when he heard a running faucet in the hallway. "Oh no." Scooping Shaymin up, Sonic zipped into the bathroom down the hall. He sighed when he found Buizel splashing the slowly filling bathtub.

Sonic couldn't stay mad, though. The weasel was having the time of its life rolling around in the shallow water. "Guess it makes sense that you love the stuff." Buizel noticed him but was too busy basically soaking itself to respond. Thinking that he would _never_ have that much fun in water, Sonic went over and reached for the running faucet. "But sorry, bud! I can let you splash around later, but I think Tails is almost done – _whoa!"_

There was a sudden yank on his outstretched arm, and the unexpected move made Sonic lose his balance. With a yelp, he tumbled into the bathtub, causing a massive splash. Buizel's laugh rung out, and Shaymin squealed before wiggling out of Sonic's arms and headbutting the weasel's chest in retaliation. Buizel splashed in response, Shaymin splashed back, and it was a warzone with Sonic sulking in the middle of it.

"Sonic? The food's ready! Where are you?"

Tails' voice emitted from up front, and Sonic barely had time to process it before Buizel and Shaymin were scrambling out of the tub and out of the bathroom. They left a wet trail behind them.

"Wait!" Sonic turned off the faucet and got out as well, grabbing the nearest towels. "I gotta dry you off!" he exclaimed as he ran after them, ignoring how he too was dripping on the floor.

However, when he reentered the living room, he was hit with a gust of wind that stopped him in his tracks. He had to squint his eyes, but he could clearly see Rufflet forcefully flapping its wings in front of him and the two wet troublemakers. After a moment or so, the bird stopped the onslaught and chirped in satisfaction at its job.

Slowly blinking, Sonic looked down to see Buizel and Shaymin nearly dry before examining himself. He knew that some of his quills were in disarray, but he wasn't wet and that was all that mattered.

Tails was standing to the side with a gaping jaw. "Wow…"

"You can say that again." A bird that could produce crazy wind…who would've thought? Sonic smoothed out his quills after tossing the towels onto the couch. "Thanks, Rufflet!" Shaymin chimed in with its own appreciation while Buizel was slightly upset.

It was soon smiling again however when it sniffed the air, running into the kitchen. Sonic opened his mouth to stop Buizel, but Tails cut him off. "It's okay! Vulpix is already in there, and I think they can behave themselves…or at least I did before you took a swim."

Sonic released a breathy chuckle. "Just keep Buizel away from water, and everything _should_ be fine." He entered the kitchen after Rufflet and Shaymin followed the weasel.

Inside, Tails had made a specific eating spot for them. By the kitchen table were paper plates with a bagel on each. Vulpix was already nibbling on a jelly one. Buizel hadn't decided on which one it wanted yet, but the decision was out of its hands when Shaymin claimed the other jelly. Rufflet was happy enough with the cream cheese, pecking at it.

Sonic watched as they all chowed down, everything about their situation sinking in. "Hey, Tails?"

The kit was standing by his side. "Yeah?"

"We haven't both gone crazy, right?"

"I really hope not."

* * *

There weren't many people on the train to Mystic Ruins, but even so, Amy was sure that all eyes were on her.

She couldn't blame the people, really. If she saw a small bud-like plant creature and a child-like one with a green bowl cut riding on a train, she would've been stunned as well.

Amy was just glad that no one asked her about it. The green bud one, Budew, was asleep in her arms, and she didn't want to wake him up until they got to their destination. Another reason was that the childish one, Ralts, was a bit…introverted. Yeah, that was it.

Ralts was sitting in the seat next to her, staring down at the floor. At least, Amy assumed she was because she couldn't see her eyes from this angle.

Ralts wasn't glaring anyone down, which was a relief. Amy had seen enough of that getting to the station.

Ralts was nice enough to her – as in, didn't glare in her direction – but strangers were a different story. She hadn't been mean to Budew either, so maybe she was just protective? Amy was hoping to get the answer to that question, along with _many_ others, when she got to Sonic's house.

"Excuse me?" Amy glanced up to see a boy walking towards her, using poles to keep balance on the train. His eyes were wide with curiosity. "What are those things?"

Amy wished that she could properly answer. "Oh! This is Budew," she whispered to not wake the sleeping plant. "And this is…" Amy trailed off at the heated gaze aimed at the boy. Ralts was just a baby, but those red eyes were fierce.

Fierce enough to make the boy back away. "O-Okay! Cool!" He hastily returned to his parents on the far end of the train, whispering to each other.

"Ralts! You have to be nice to people, okay?" Amy quietly admonished.

Ralts frowned before training her gaze on the ground once more.

Today was going to be a long one.

* * *

**I know that you technically can't breed a shaymin in the main games, but in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, there was a whole **_**village**_** of them, and more than one was present during the Sky Warrior movie as well. So…I'm just gonna roll with it.**

**And again, I appreciate all of the support!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Quick update, but I couldn't wait to get this one out. Who's ready to meet the rest of the dozen?**

* * *

"Sand! Sandshrew shrew!"

Knuckles, who had been trekking toward the house in the distance, paused to turn around when he heard Sandshrew's yelling. She was squatting by the cliff that dropped down to the glistening waters below, peering down at it.

"Don't get so close to the cliff!" Knuckles sternly barked. He was sure she would be scarred for life if he had to save her from drowning. And honestly, Riolu would probably be too from the secondhand terror.

"Shrew?" She glanced back at the echidna before nodding with a smile. "Sand!"

When Sandshrew bounded over to him, Knuckles continued his way over to the home. He was careful not to bump into Riolu because the pup was basically huddled into his side at this point, the grip on his wrist trembling. Knuckles had half the mind to tell him to give him more space, but the nervous eyes snapping back and forth made him hold his tongue.

"Rew rew?" Sandshrew padded over to Riolu, tilting her head at him with a concerned frown.

"Rio…" Riolu answered, clearly overwhelmed.

Sandshrew nudged him and beamed. "Rew!" She ran ahead, plucked a red flower, and brought it over. "Shrew!"

She held the flower out for Riolu, and he took it with the tiniest of smiles.

Knuckles watched their interaction, still processing them and _everything_ that he's been told. Sonic and Tails apparently have more of these creatures with them, and they had _powers._

He had asked Sandshrew and Riolu if they had any, but they had looked like they didn't know what in the world he was talking about. So, either it was another language thing, or maybe only certain breeds had them?

Actually, Knuckles was glad that none of his could breathe fire because the _last_ thing he wanted was for Angel Island to start burning down. Again. And he wasn't going to let that fire creature anywhere near it either. Knuckles had to dock the island in the nearby sea, but he was going to keep a sharp eye on the hotshot just in case it got a little too curious.

Knuckles continued along his short trek with Sandshrew zigzagging in front of his feet. When he reached his friends' yard, he saw the house's front door fly open. Knuckles paused in his stride when a grey bird, a weasel with _two_ tails, a red fox, and a flowery hedgehog ran out.

He knew that he shouldn't be so surprised, but this was still _insane._

"Oh, hey, Knucklehead!" Sonic had exited after the creatures and spotted him. The blue blur ran over to him with a waving Tails at his heels. When the two stopped in front of Knuckles, Sonic smiled down at Sandshrew and Riolu. "And friends!"

The shrew returned the smile and chirped a greeting while Riolu hid behind Knuckles' legs.

"Aw…" Tails squatted and held out a hand, but Riolu leaned away. "It's shy."

"That's an understatement," Knuckles distractedly murmured, his eyes on the others running over here as well.

Sonic chuckled as he patted the energetic Sandshrew on her head. "So, you gonna introduce us or what?"

"That's Sandshrew, and-" Knuckles pointed behind him at the quiet pup. "-this is Riolu. Now tell me which one breathes fire so I know to never let it on my island."

Sonic rolled his eyes while the kit answered with an amused giggle, "Vulpix isn't going to burn anything down, Knuckles! At least, not on purpose." Tails pointed at the red fox that reached them, it going over to sniff a whining Riolu. "That's Vulpix!"

"And this is Buizel!" The weasel stood beside Sonic, and the hedgehog ruffled the fur on its head. "This little guy can put out any fire, so no worries!"

"Bui bui!" It confirmed, grinning.

Knuckles wasn't impressed. "I'd rather have no chance of it happening at _all_ than having a backup plan." At the sound of chiming laughter, he looked down to see Sandshrew and the green hedgehog running around each other in a game of tag before taking off. Not wanting to be left out, Buizel chased after them. "What's the green one?"

"Shaymin!" Sonic shook his head in jest as those three played in the yard. "It and Buizel are somethin' else, I tell ya. I took an unexpected swim in the bathtub because of 'em."

Knuckles wished that he could've seen that. "So, the one with the fire is one of the calm ones, huh?" He peered over his shoulder. Vulpix was still by Riolu, but it was busier scratching itself than paying attention to the uncomfortable pup. "That's one good thing to come out of this."

"It's _all_ good, Knuckles!" Sonic scratched his cheek. "It's just that there was no way we could've predicted this."

Tails grew pensive. "And we don't know why either…"

Knuckles would like to find that out as soon as possible. "Yeah, I told you about Celebi, but that thing rose more questions than ans – _gah!_" The echidna stepped back when the white bird swooped down right in front of his face. The move would've been fine and dandy if Riolu hadn't been _right_ behind him. There were flailing limbs as they both crashed to the ground.

"Ruff?"

Knuckles groaned as he sat up, seeing the bird tilt its head down at him. Tails must've caught his glare, for he hastily said, "Sorry, Knuckles! This is Rufflet, and it's uh…really curious sometimes."

"To a fault," the echidna grumbled as he stood back up, wiping off specks of dirt.

"…Yeah."

"Let?" Rufflet landed by Riolu, who froze mid-recovery at the sight of the bird.

Vulpix, having scampered out of the way, sent Rufflet a level gaze. "Vulpix pix," it crisply yipped.

The bird cooed in apology. Riolu glanced between the other two before subtly relaxing. "Lu lu…"

Rufflet happily tweeted, hopping back and forth.

Tails' eyes were gleaming. "So fascinating! I wonder though…did something happen to make Riolu so skittish, Knuckles?"

Knuckles shook his head. "Nope. Been that way since he hatched."

"Wait, he?" Sonic questioned, looking Riolu over. "How do you know that?"

Knuckles was surprised that they hadn't tried to figure it out earlier. "I just asked them. Sandshrew's a girl."

"…Huh." Sonic whirled around and waved the ones playing over. "Hey, Buizel, Shaymin! Come back for a sec!" They didn't hesitate in doing so, Sandshrew running over as well. When curious gazes focused on him, Sonic clasped his hands together. "Okay, so! If you're a boy, go stand over by Riolu!" He motioned to the pup before switching to the shrew. "And if you're a girl, stand by Sandshrew!"

Tails glimpsed at his newest buddies. "You guys, too!"

They all looked at each other in a brief moment of hesitation, before following orders. Buizel and Rufflet crowded around Riolu, who stiffened at the closeness, while Vulpix trotted over to a smiling Sandshrew.

Shaymin looked between the two groups before sitting down where it stood. "Shay!"

None of the trio expected that.

"Uh…" Sonic took a guess. "Is it both?"

"Or neither?" Tails took a shot in the dark. "I think there are some animals in the world like that…"

"Min!" Shaymin smiled and squealed when Buizel playfully pounced on it.

"Just one thing after another," Knuckles muttered to himself before raising his voice. "What do we do with them?"

Sonic put a hand on his hip, raising an inquisitive brow. "What do you mean? I thought it was obvious that we keep 'em until…something happens."

Knuckles stared incredulously at him. "Until something happens."

"Yep!"

He didn't quite agree with that. "Well, so that _something_ doesn't happen anywhere near the Master Emerald-" Knuckles cut his eyes over to Riolu and Sandshrew. They weren't paying attention to him, busy picking flowers. "-I'll leaving those two with you."

The brothers stared at him like he was crazy. "Seriously?" They both asked before Tails frowned, unsure. "We don't even know if something will happen yet!"

"It always does sooner or later, Tails, and you know it."

Sonic jumped into the conversation. "You really wanna toss 'em to the side just like that? What about the mystery? Sure, they can't spit fire, water, or create wind." Knuckles' eyes widened when they locked on Rufflet circling high in the sky. "But they could do somethin' cool later on! And plus…" His voice softened. "They seem really attached to you, Knucklehead, especially Riolu."

"That's because they've only been around _me_, so-"

Sonic snickered as he threw an arm around Knuckles' shoulders. "I know that havin' these adorable little guys following you around ruins the rough-and-tough thing you're going for, but c'mon…" He went to pick up Sandshrew, who squeaked in surprise. Sonic held her in front of Knuckles' face. "Look at her!"

Knuckles fought to keep his expression blank. "It's not working, Sonic."

The speedster waved Sandshrew a bit back and forth, and she giggled with outstretched arms. "Shrew rew!"

It was a losing battle. Knuckles relented, taking the shrew and allowing her to climb on his shoulder. She cheered before relocating to his head, joyfully twittering.

Sonic and Tails high-fived each other; Knuckles rolled his eyes. He was then distracted when Riolu stepped beside him with his arms raised as well. "Lu?"

Before Knuckles' rough-and-tough exterior could take another hit, a familiar voice called out to them.

"Hey, everyone!"

The trio of boys whipped around to find Amy jogging towards them, but she wasn't alone. In her arms was a green plant, and there was a small white creature keeping up at her side.

"What the – she has them too?" Knuckles asked, frowning. Exactly _how_ many people did Celebi give these things to?

"And that makes eight…" Tails muttered, just as shocked as the echidna was.

Sonic got over his surprise enough to greet her back. "Hey, Amy!" He gestured to the full yard when she met up with them, grinning. "Guess you got invited to the party too, huh?"

"Guess so!" Amy's wide eyes drifted from a smiling Sandshrew, to Riolu hiding behind Knuckles once more, and to all of the others frolicking in the grass. "Wow…I should've known that I wasn't the only one who found adorable surprises this morning!" She reached up to pet Sandshrew. "Aren't you a cutie?"

She leaned into the touch. "Rew!"

Amy giggled, pulling back. "This is Budew!" She adjusted the one in her arms. It barely looked awake, yawning loudly. "He just woke up. And this is…Ralts!" She quietly huffed when she saw the white one at her side glaring at the boys. "What did I tell you about being nice? These are my friends!"

Ralts glanced at her before looking away. "Ral."

Amy sighed. "That's Ralts. She's a little bit too protective, I think."

"You think?" Tails repeated doubtfully.

Sonic waved her off. "No worries! She's new to this like we are! Once we all get to know each other and be friends, things'll work out!"

Amy sighed. "I hope so." She set Budew on the ground, giving him a little nudge. "Go meet everyone, Budew! Make sure to play nice!" He didn't go anywhere, though. He simply sat at her feet and started to doze off again.

Sonic could sympathize. "I feel ya, lil dude. It is early in the morning."

"Pix?" Vulpix was making her way over at this point. Ralts gave her a harsh glare, but the fox wasn't bothered. She kept approaching, bypassing Ralts and sniffing Budew.

The plant blinked sleepily. "Dew…"

"Pix vulpix."

"Bud."

Vulpix crouched low to the ground, and Budew managed to maneuver onto the red fox's back, laying on his stomach. With a yip, she trotted over to where Rufflet was pecking at the ground.

"See?" Amy put her hands on her hips, frowning down at Ralts. "You'll make new friends really easily if you just be nice!" The other still wasn't looking at her.

Knuckles scoffed, slightly wincing when Sandshrew jumped off his head due to a call from Shaymin. "Looks like she has a bad case of the Shadow-syndrome."

Sonic and Tails chuckled at that while Amy groaned. "_Please_ don't let that be the case!"

"Keep all black dye away from her, and everything should be fine," Sonic teased, and Amy shook her head in amusement.

"So anyway…" The bubblegum hedgehog twirled one of her quills, gazing in interest at their new bunch of friends. "Do you have any history on them? Like, where did they come from?"

Sonic shrugged. "Knuckles said that something called a Celebi delivered the eggs to us for some reason. But there was a language barrier, so we're lost in the dark at the moment."

Before Amy could ask about this Celebi, Tails continued the convo. "All we know for sure is that some of them have powers. For example-" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Vulpix sneeze again, catching the grass in front of her on fire once more. And like last time, Buizel ran over to put it out with a splash of water. "-that."

Amy gawked for a solid ten seconds before enthusiastically asking Ralts, "Can you do anything like that?"

Ralts shook her head with no other comment.

Amy was still in awe. "That's so cool!"

Sonic snickered. "Our lives don't stay dull for long, huh?"

"Unfortunately."

He ignored Knuckles as he addressed Tails, "Now that we got a whole crowd to choose from, you wanna run some tests to see what you can find?"

Tails brightened at the suggestion. "Yeah! I was thinking about doing that." He searched around the yard and called, "Rufflet? Can you come here for a second?" The bird glanced up at him before taking flight, eventually landing on the fox's outstretched arm. "Do you mind if I take one of your feathers?"

Rufflet held his head down and chirped, signifying a no. Tails smiled before combing his fingers through the thick plumage, loosening a feather with little effort.

Tails held the downy white feather and thanked him. Rufflet nuzzled his cheek and then fluttered over back to Vulpix. The resting red fox lifted her tails to allow him to settle beside Budew. Once he was comfortable, she lowered her tails as a make-shift blanket.

Amy cooed at the adorableness.

Sonic nudged Tails. "She knows how to make use of her tails like you can, bud!"

Tails chuckled at the comparison before looking for another donor. It wouldn't hurt to have two different samples. Fur would do nicely. He didn't want to take it from Vulpix because she looked comfortable over there, Buizel and Shaymin were out because they were busy rolling Sandshrew around while she was curled into a ball, and Ralts…well. He probably wouldn't be able to get any from her.

So, Tails kneeled and gently smiled at the still nervous Riolu. "Hey, can I get a strand of your fur? Just one! I promise it won't hurt!"

The pup didn't move, hiding behind Knuckles even more, and the echidna sighed. "Go ahead and do it, Riolu. He won't hurt you, trust me."

Riolu seemed to weigh his words, intently eyeing Tails. After a long moment, he held out a slightly trembling arm. Tails' smile widened, and he gently pinched the short blue fur there. He pulled away with a few strands between his fingers.

"Thank you so much!" Tails hopped back up, facing his friends. "I'm going to see if these tell us anything!" The kit whirled up his tails and hovered to the workshop.

While Sonic and Amy watched Tails go, Knuckles secretly patted Riolu a couple times on the head. Unfortunately, Sonic still noticed and shot him a knowing grin.

"Shut up."

* * *

Shadow woke up to something crashing in his apartment.

Despite being completely dead to the world a second before, the black hedgehog was fully alert as he shot up in his bed, listening. There was another crash coming from his kitchen, and Shadow knew that it wasn't Rouge because the rising sun was far too low in the sky for her to visit him yet.

Someone had idiotically broken into his home, and the last thing Shadow had on his mind was mercy.

Scowling, he threw the blankets off himself and quickly slunk out of his bedroom, making sure to stay silent. He crept through his living room as the noises kept coming. There was yet _another_ crash, and Shadow didn't hesitate in flipping the light on when he reached his destination, ready to become someone's worst nightmare.

All of Shadow's anger dissolved into shock at who, or rather _what_ was in his kitchen.

He was first drawn to a black and blue feline laying on top of his fridge, staring down at him with curious yellow eyes. Its star-tipped tail was leisurely swishing back and forth. It reminded him of a lion cub.

Shadow's attention snapped to the floor at the sound of crunching. There was another cat-like creature sitting there, but it was fully black with…red feathers? It met his gaze as it used white claws to pick up and eat the cereal scattered all around. Three colorful boxes that had been sitting on top of the fridge were now on the ground, wide open.

"Shinx?" The cub nimbly hopped from the refrigerator, to the counter, and ultimately to the floor. Shadow watched numbly as it padded over to him and rubbed against his legs, quietly purring. It didn't linger for long though, going over to the mixed assortment of cereal and feasting.

The black feline gathered a handful of their breakfast before standing on two feet and walking over to him. Shadow noticed how it was only a few inches shorter than he was.

He was tense as the other stepped closer and held up the cereal with a raised brow. "Sneasel sne?" Shadow's brain was busy booting and rebooting, so he was running on autopilot when he offered his palm. The feline dumped the cereal into his hand before reclaiming its seat in the middle of the mess.

Shadow stared at his hand for a long moment.

Then he marched back to his bedroom because this was obviously a bullshit dream caused by the pizza that Rouge convinced him to order _way_ too late last night.

* * *

Shadow woke up approximately an hour later with a weight on his stomach.

When he saw the cub sleeping on him like there was nothing wrong about its existence, a string of curse words echoed around in Shadow's mind.

He didn't know what they were or where they came from, but he wasn't exactly a pet person. Especially since these 'pets' trashed his kitchen and didn't know what personal space was.

Shadow frowned before picking the cub up by the scruff of its neck and transferring it to the space beside him. The hedgehog stared hard as it drowsily yawned, its tired gaze meeting his.

Shadow cut to the chase. "What are you and who brought you here?"

It slowly blinked at him. "Shinx." Then, the cub stumbled over to Shadow's pillow and curled up on top of it, dozing off again.

He had half the mind to put the thing on the floor, but he figured that waking Rouge was positioned higher on the priority list. He didn't care if she was still sleeping. He wasn't dealing with this alone.

Shadow gave the sleeping cub another look before slipping on his gloves and shoes, leaving the room soon after. He would've made a beeline for his front door if a strange whooshing noise from the kitchen hadn't made him pause. After a quick glance around the room, he noticed that the black feathered feline was nowhere to be found.

Shadow sighed harshly, marching into the adjacent room and finding it empty also. His brow creased as he looked around. Half of the cereal had been eaten, some of the leftover sugar dust decorated his countertops, and the door to the freezer was slightly ajar. That was the source of the noise.

Despite his irritation, Shadow subtly tensed in alarm when he saw a clawed arm hanging limply out of the cold storage. He zipped over and flung the freezer door open, chilled air hitting his face.

The feline was inside, slightly curled with its eyes closed. The most important thing was that it was still _breathing_ and not frozen to death.

But…why in the _hell_ did it choose to sleep in the damn freezer?

The sudden light roused it. The creature peered one eye open and groaned, rolling over in the confined space to hide its face in the darkness. Due to his fast reflexes, Shadow managed to catch the bag of frozen peas that were almost kicked to the floor.

He tossed the peas on the counter, left the feline where it was, and stomped over to the front door because he did not have the patience for this.

Shadow was almost hit in the face when the door was thrown open.

It was Rouge. She was still wearing pajamas, her eyes were blown wide, and there was a bat in her arms.

Shadow's frown deepened. "Rouge, what is that_?"_

"I'll explain in a second!" She hastily said, stepping inside his apartment. He only allowed it because there was a twinge of panic in her voice he wasn't used to. "First, I might sound a little crazy, but there's a ghost in my apartment, Shadow."

Shadow stared. "A…ghost."

Rouge pouted, and the bat she was holding giggled in her hold. "Don't look at me like that! I'm serious!"

Shadow studied her, then the purple creature with large ears, and images of his own sleeping intruders mentally popped up. Under normal circumstances, he would've doubted her more, but as it stood…

He crossed his arms and jutted his chin at the smaller bat. "It's probably one of them."

The one being cradled tilted its head at him. "Noi noibat?"

"Huh?" Rouge was just as puzzled. "What do you mean? The last time I checked, cute bat-things and ghosts don't really-"

Shadow sighed. "I don't know how closely they're related, but I have a lion cub sleeping on my pillow and a something similar to a cat sleeping in my _freezer_ with the same speech patterns." He barely gave her time to process that. "Was the ghost see-through?"

Most of Rouge's panic was replaced by confusion and interest now. "No. It was blue with purple highlights, and it was honestly pretty adorable, but I was too focused on it being a _ghost_ and all." She rubbed her bare eyelids, it being too early for makeup. "So, is it going to haunt me or not? Being haunted is such a bother and I really don't have the time for it in my daily routine."

"Dreavus?"

Rouge tensed in surprise before whirling around. Shadow peered around her to see the ghost emerge from the wall across the hall. Rouge's closed door apparently wasn't enough to stop it.

It glanced between the two as it floated nearer, eventually stopping in front of Rouge. A broad smile grew on its face. "Mis misdreavus!"

The smaller bat waved a stubby arm. "Noi noi!"

Shadow couldn't believe this. "You were scared of _that_ thing?"

"_Don't_ judge me, mister!" She lightly glared back. "Sorry if I'm not used to being woken up by ghosts flying around my room."

The mentioned ghost guiltily frowned. "Mis mis…"

Most of her fear was gone now. Rouge cautiously looked it over before relaxing her expression. "Don't feel too bad. It was about time for me to wake up anyway."

Usually she got out of bed an hour from now, but Shadow wasn't going to call her out on her lie.

The frown morphed back into a smile. "Vus!" The ghost flew around Rouge's head multiple times. "Misdreavus!"

The white bat pursed her lips in thought. "You can completely understand me?"

"Vus!"

"Interesting." Rouge glanced at Shadow with a smirk. "Looks like we got a mighty mystery on our hands."

"Not necessarily." Shadow grunted apathetically. "I don't want anything to do with them."

Rouge rolled her eyes, talking over the smaller bat's worried chirping. "How'd I know you would say that? They're _babies_, Shadow. Or at least, I think so." She examined the one in her arms before. "You're just going to leave them? And you said you had a couple of kittens, right?" She jeeringly tisked, shaking her head. "Shame on you."

"And _who_ was just begging me to get rid of a ghost problem?"

"That doesn't work because I learned better."

The ghost did a flip in the air. "Mis!"

Shadow pinched the bridge of his nose. "Then we dump them with the Faker. Or you can take care of the two who somehow broke in here. I don't care." He wasn't enthusiastic at _all_ about this.

Rouge opened her mouth to say something to convince him, but static unexpectedly filled the air. It was coming from his wrist communicator. HQ was calling on their weekend off.

Shadow answered it, "This better be important."

GUN's Commander responded, _"It is. Is Agent Rouge with you?"_

"I'm sure you already know that answer," Rouge replied smoothly. "Hopefully there's a very good reason you've interrupted our rest and relaxation."

"_I'm going to cut to the chase. There have been some sightings of strange creatures today in Mystic Forest that never have been seen before." _The agents shared a glance. _"There's nothing known about them other than they don't venture outside the forest, have a massive variety of physical attributes, and, from what has been seen, don't have visible pupils."_

Shadow looked into the eyes of the ghost and the small bat. They had pupils, and he recalled the felines having them too.

"_There was one case of an attack when a person cornered one at the edge of the forest. I suggest starting your investigation as soon as possible. Is the level of importance high enough for you?"_

Rouge ignored the sarcasm and hummed, pretending to think just for show. "You got lucky, Commander. And _I'm_ assuming that we'll be compensated with more days off in the future?"

"_I'll look into it."_

He hung up, and Rouge gave her partner a sly smile. "Do you care enough now?"

Shadow did nothing but glare.

* * *

**And there we have it! Shadow's got a couple kittens to take care of, and Rouge met an interesting duo. Also, something weird is happening in Mystic Ruins…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Back after a long break! Sorry about that!**

* * *

"This is so strange…"

Tails propped his elbows on the desk in front of him, completely puzzled as he stared at a computer screen. He was sitting in the corner of his workshop, hoping to find _any_ information on the creatures they've encountered, but he was coming up empty.

Every scan and test he'd done on the feather and strands of fur all had the same result. Red letters spelling out 'unknown' had been flashing at him for the past half hour. It didn't make any sense, though. Rufflet was obviously a type of bird, so _some_ kind of avian genes should have shown up. But no. He was just as clueless now as he was when he first sat down.

Tails ran a hand through his bangs, looking between the computer and the machine connected to it. He knew that running the tests a fourth time wouldn't change the result, but it wouldn't hurt to-

The kit's train of thought derailed when he saw movement in the corner of his eye. Tails peered out of the window to his left, looking at the shifting trees that led farther into the Mystic Ruins.

He stiffened when pale eyes stared right back.

"What…" Tails forgot all about his work as he focused on the creature partially hidden in the shade of the canopy. He was instantly drawn to the long black horn on one side of its head, sharply contrasting the hanging white fur on the other. Its whole body was like a contradiction. The longer white fur flowing in the slight breeze accented the dark pigment of its face, four feet, and tail.

Tails would've been completely amazed if unease hadn't been crawling up his spine as well. It was those pale eyes. They were staring blankly at him, unbothered that Tails had caught them in the act. Something about the gaze was…off.

It stared and Tails stared back until it broke the spell, turning around. The kit hastily stood out of his chair when the creature loped away, being quickly hidden by the thick foliage.

"Wait!" Tails yelled even though he knew it wouldn't hear him. He flew past the parked Tornado toward the front door, practically throwing it open in his haste to leave. He gained the attention of everyone with the loud slam.

Sonic, who had been sitting with Knuckles and Amy on the ground, rose a brow at his abrupt appearance. "Whoa! Where's the fire, bud? Did you find something about 'em?"

"Nothing about the ones we have!" Tails pointed in the direction the strange one left in. "But I saw another one! It went that way into the forest!"

The trio instantly stood in surprise. "Seriously?" Amy gasped. "What did it look like?

"Uh…it's looks like a mix between a cat and a dog with white fur! And it's got a long horn!"

Knuckles didn't know what this meant. There were _wild_ ones running around now? "And I guess we're going after it?"

"Is that even a question?" Sonic grinned. There was no way that he would pass up meeting another one of these unique creatures. However, he hesitated at the thought that having the whole group chase after it would be a bad idea. They didn't want to scare it off. "But how about just me and Tails go? You and Amy stay here and watch the little guys, 'kay?"

Knuckles opened his mouth to fight the decision, but Amy cut him off. "Yeah, we can wait here! Go on before it gets too far away!"

"Right!" He saluted the rest of their small friends watching on in confusion. "We'll be back in a sec with another pal!" Sonic didn't wait for a response from them, jogging to Tails. "Lead the way!"

Tails was already hovering away. "It went in this general direction!" Sonic caught up to him when they hit the trees, careful to duck and dodge around trunks and low hanging branches.

After a while, they slowed down and began to search for any hint of the creature. Sonic kept his eyes on the ground for footprints while Tails was on the lookout for any strands of white fur.

The speedster checked around a tree, finding nothing, and asked, "So, how big is this thing?"

Tails was a bit of a distance away, scanning the greenery with perked ears. "It was bigger than any we've seen so far… I think it's almost as tall as us on its four legs."

"They come in all shapes and sizes, huh?" Sonic leaned against some bark, wondering how sheepish the creature was. Searching like this wasn't going to get them very far. If only the canopy wasn't so thick, Tails would be able to fly… "Do you think it would come to us if we called?"

"Maybe?" Tails remembered that bold stare, believing that it surely wouldn't be scared of them. To come when called, though? He wasn't sure. And who knew if it was still in earshot, but it was worth the try.

Tails cupped his mouth, shouting, "Hey! Are you out there?" Normally, no one else would be out in these woods, so the only one to answer should be the creature. "I saw you through the window, and I was wondering if we could be friends?"

They waited for any kind of response, vocal or otherwise. There was nothing other than the rustling leaves, birds chirping high overhead, and the distant waves.

Sonic decided to give it a try. He jogged forward a bit, yelling, "We're not gonna hurt ya, promise! We've got friends like you who can't wait to meet you!"

Still nothing. Tails stepped up to Sonic's side and provided one last attempt. "We have food if you're hungry!"

Sonic couldn't stifle his chuckle when that didn't gain them a response either. "You get an A for effort, Tails! Hm…maybe if we bring some bagels out here, then it'll show its face aga-" His words died off when something splattered on top of his head. "What the…"

He and Tails both glanced up, simultaneously freezing at the _giant _black snake hanging right above them. Elongated red fangs protruded out of its gaping maw. Pale eyes narrowed, a muscular coiled body tensed, and Sonic knew that they had to move _now._

The blue hero grabbed Tails' arm and yanked him backwards, backpedaling when the snake struck where they had been standing. It hissed at them as it slithered off the sturdy branch, landing on the ground. The glare was heated it rose its head high enough that the brothers had to look up to maintain eye contact.

It was then that Sonic noticed the red _blade_ on its tail. They really needed to stay clear of that.

He slightly positioned himself in front of Tails, whispering, "This has gotta be another one of them, right?"

"Yeah!" Tails was trying to calm down his frantically beating heart. "It has to be! And it…it has the same eyes as the one I saw before!"

"The same eyes?" Sonic focused on those pale irises sizing him and Tails up, but he didn't get to question it for the snake loudly hissed, tongue flickering. Sonic held out a halting hand and managed a genial smile. "Hey, pal! We're not here to hurt you, alright? I'm sure you heard what we said before! We're all friends here!"

The sharp gaze narrowed, and the hissing grew in intensity.

"Or maybe not," Tails muttered, unsure if taking this one back would be a good idea.

Sonic's smile didn't falter as he continued to persuade. "C'mon, don't act like that! I know you can understand every word I say, so you know that if you come with us, you don't have to be alone anymore! Plus, we got breakfast if you want any!"

"And it's not us!" Tails hurriedly chimed in. "Just to be clear!"

Apparently, they were the only thing on the menu for the serpent. It lunged forward with no warning, mouth agape and glowing fangs ready to bite down. Tails and Sonic hopped out of the way in opposite directions, both of them starting to realize that negotiating wasn't going to work.

Tails stiffened when it whirled around to face him, those pale eyes making a chill go down his back. He gasped and flew into the air when the snake lunged. Gulping, Tails looked down at the angered creature and exclaimed, "I think that we should leave it alone, Sonic! It's too dangerous!"

Sonic agreed that this snake was a bit on the wilder side, but that was part of the reason why they _shouldn't_ let it out of their sight. It could get somewhere it shouldn't be and attack an innocent person with no clue to what was going on. But how could they bring it back, though? They could always knock it out, but that was-

"Whoa!" Sonic was thrown out of his thoughts when the bladed tail whizzed right by his head. He had stepped back in time to avoid being slashed, years of fighting having fine-tuned his reaction times. The snake was homed in onto him now since Tails was out of range. Sonic grinned. "You might wanna rethink attacking us! We're the last ones you want to mess with!"

"Se…" It bared its fangs once more, tensing its body. Sonic shifted on his feet so he could move at any time. The coil then snapped, and the snake sprung forward. "Viper!"

It turned out that Sonic didn't have to dodge at all.

A white and grey blur bulleted from the side and slammed into the snake's face, snapping its head to the side. Sonic stared in surprise until he recognized the unexpected attacker. "Rufflet?"

"Ruff ruff!" He chirped as he flapped over the serpent, glaring down at the fanged creature. The snake hissed up at the bird, wasting no time in jumping into the air to retaliate.

"Oh no you don't!" Tails intercepted the attack, kicking the snake in the side before it could hurt his new friend. He felt a little bad when it was flung into the tree trunk, but the happy tweet from Rufflet made up for it.

However, the happiness faded away when the snake recovered from the hit. Rufflet's feathers ruffled as he swooped down once more.

He didn't get far, for a shrill screech pierced the air. Sonic and Tails gasped as the sound attacked their ear drums, and Rufflet squawked, faltering in his approach.

Tails' breath caught in his throat when the snake sneered, seizing the opportunity it created. Rufflet cried out in pain when the serpent slashed his side, sending the bird to ground.

"Rufflet!" Alarmed, Tails darted over to the avian as he shook off the hit. Tails carefully picked up and scanned his friend, relieved that the blade hadn't broke skin. "Are you okay?"

Rufflet nodded with no hesitation. "Let!"

"Viper!" Tensing, Tails glanced back to find the snake lunging for them again.

Until the heel of Sonic's foot stopped it then and there.

The ax kick rendered the serpent unconscious before it hit the ground, its long tongue lolling out of its mouth.

"I didn't want to do it, but…" Sonic sighed as he eyed the long creature, searching for any movement. It was breathing, but nothing else. "If free food didn't make it want to listen, nothin' will."

Tails let Rufflet go, and the bird sought out revenge by pecking at the snake's head a few times. The kid genius bit his lip. "I hope it won't be too mad at us when it wakes up…"

Sonic waved him off. "No madder than it already was. We just gotta keep it someplace secure until it calms down and we can-" The rest of his words died in his throat when the black serpent faded out of existence. "-well, that's new."

Tails couldn't wrap his mind around this. "What?! Where did it go?" He ran over to where the snake should have been, feeling around with wide eyes to make sure it didn't turn invisible somehow. "It's really gone!" He turned to Rufflet, seeing the bird just as shocked as he was. "Did you know it could do this, Rufflet?"

The avian shook his head. "Let let!" He landed and hopped around the grass the snake had squished down, chirping in distress.

"Disappearing when knocked out…" Sonic scratched the back of his head with a pensive frown. "Wait, is this just this snake's thing, or do all of you do that?"

Tails' gut dropped at the question. That was the _last_ thing that needed to happen.

Rufflet didn't seem to know the answer, still hopping around with ruffled feathers.

Sonic ran a hand through his quills. "Well, we've got to be extra careful with you guys from now on!" He smiled at the bird. "Don't want any of our new friends disappearin' on us!"

"Yeah!" Tails held out an arm, and Rufflet landed on it. The kit petted the avian with his free hand. "Especially after what you did, Rufflet! Thanks for showing up and helping us out!"

Rufflet cooed at the praise.

Sonic deeply exhaled, still processing all of this. "I guess…that's that?" The fact that the creature disappeared after being kicked made him feel worse about it, but it wasn't actually_ dead_ somehow, right? Hopefully. Sonic searched around the now quiet forest. There was still no sight of the black and white cat/dog thing. "Are we gonna look again for the one you saw earlier, Tails?"

The fox thought on it. "I think we should leave it alone for now. It knows where we live, so it might show up again later. Plus, I don't want a bad run-in with that one. It's got pretty long claws."

Sonic understood his bro's hesitation, however, "Since it didn't attack you at the workshop, I'm sure it's friendly! But yeah, I think it's best if we head back and tell the others what happened so they can be on the look-out."

"Right!"

The trio retraced their steps and rushed back out of the woods, eventually bursting into the clearing the workshop occupied.

Amy released a relieved breath when she saw Tails and Sonic approaching with Rufflet in tow. "Sorry we couldn't keep an eye on Rufflet!" She giggled as Vulpix, Shaymin, and Buizel ran to meet the boys, any worry they had gone with the wind. "I guess he was really concerned when you two left!"

"Don't sweat it!" Sonic grinned, catching Shaymin when it practically jumped into his arms. "I'm honestly surprised the rest didn't follow too! Rufflet was a good help, though!"

"A good help?" Amy furrowed her brow when the two heroes stepped in front of her and Knuckles. "A help with what?"

Knuckles glanced behind the brothers at the trees before asking, "And where's the creature that Tails saw? You didn't find it?"

Tails shook his head, holding his hands out wide. "No, but we did find this _huge_ snake that tried to attack us!"

Amy gasped as she looked them over. "Seriously? You didn't get hurt, right?"

"Well…" Tails glanced over at Rufflet, who had settled onto Vulpix's back. "Rufflet got hit with the snake's blade tail, but he bounced back!"

Knuckles slowly blinked. "Did you just say…_blade_ tail?"

"Oh, right." Sonic chuckled. They had left out one important detail. "It was definitely one of these guys." He gently squeezed Shaymin, and it chirruped in response. "I think it had the same speech patterns, and well, you don't regularly see a snake with foot-long fangs 'round here."

Amy felt a bit uneasy. "I'm kinda glad you didn't bring it back here! What happened to it?"

"It disappeared." At the confusing looks, Sonic explained, "We tried to talk to it, but it was real determined to sink its teeth into us. I kicked it in the head to knock it out, and…poof! It was gone."

Amy couldn't believe what she was hearing. "This…is just so weird!"

Knuckles rose a brow at the speedster. "So, you killed it?"

"No!" Sonic hastily opposed. "It was still breathing and everything! Right, Tails?"

The kit jumped to Sonic's defense. "Totally! We were about to drag it here, but it just faded away!" Rufflet chirped to confirm as well.

Knuckles crossed his arms, this whole situation not settling well in his stomach. It was clear that the one who ran away and the one who attacked weren't as friendly as the creatures listening in at the moment.

The only difference, he assumed, was that Celebi was the one who delivered the nice ones and the others…from an unknown place. He somehow doubted that the green pixie thing who had barely been supporting its own weight dropped eggs in random places. There had to be a reason. Too bad he had _no_ idea what it was.

"What do we do now?" Knuckles grunted. "There's obviously more of them out there, at least in the forest, and not all of them are friendly."

"We should find them, right?" Amy suggested, curiosity peaked. "Or at least try to find out where they come from?"

"And risk being attacked by those things?" Knuckles was no stranger to fighting, but apparently these creatures come in multiple shapes and sizes. There's a randomness he didn't like.

Amy teasingly grinned at him. "Don't tell me you're scared, Knuckles!" Before he could defend himself – because he definitely was _not_ scared – she continued, "We could get our friends to help out! To talk to the ones who are a little shy!"

Tails tapped his chin. "I guess that could work… There hadn't been a lot of talking between Rufflet and the snake before things got physical." It was the only plan they had at the moment, anyway. He addressed Rufflet and Vulpix, "Are you two up for it? Meeting new friends?"

They cheeped and yipped in agreement.

Sonic glanced down at Shaymin in his hold and Buizel at his side, grinning. "I'm ready for a little exploration! How about you guys?"

"Bui bui!"

"Shay!"

Amy smiled at their enthusiasm. She squatted down to ask Budew – who was a little more awake now – and the straight-faced Ralts, "Do you want to tag along too?" Ralts simply grabbed a small handful of Amy's dress. Budew yawned as he waddled over to her. She giggled as she wrapped him up in his arms, standing once more. "I think those are yeses!"

Knuckles didn't have to say anything for Sandshrew to run excitedly around him, ready to go. In contrast, Riolu was staying quiet.

"You're not staying here by yourself, so you're coming with," Knuckles said to him. Riolu let out a meek whine but didn't otherwise argue.

"It'll be alright, little guy! You'll be safe with us!" Sonic tried to reassure, but the pup was too busy staring at the forest in trepidation. Thinking that the other would get used to their lifestyle soon enough, he added, "We gotta keep an extra eye out, though. We don't know of the disappearing thing was just a one-time deal, or if they all do it."

Amy's eyes widened, holding Budew a little tighter. "Hopefully the snake is the only one!"

"Yeah." Knuckles wanted that to be the case too. Sure, Sandshrew and Riolu were surprises, but they weren't entirely unwelcome ones. "Those creatures would have to get through me first."

"Way to go, Knux!" Sonic smirked. "You've fully embraced your cute and cuddly side-kicks!"

"Let's go before I _accidentally_ punch someone off a cliff," Knuckles mumbled as he stomped toward the trees.

Tails, Amy, and Sonic stifled their chuckles as they followed with their bubbly new friends in tow.

* * *

Shadow was leaning against the doorframe of his bedroom, peering inside with his arms folded. He stared hard at the blue lion cub still sleeping on his pillow. It was turned on its back, mouth open as it snored.

A frown marred Shadow's face as he recalled the Commander's words from earlier. Apparently, there were more of these creatures in Mystic Forest who had the potential to attack people. Shadow hadn't wanted anything to do with the things, but now his curiosity had roped him into this situation. His job had a bit of influence as well, but not as much as the interest growing within him.

The questions of _what_ and _where_ needed to be answered as soon as possible.

His attention drifted off the feline when he heard the front door open. The cub didn't twitch at all at the sound. Shadow gave it another lingering look before walking to his living room, seeing a fully dressed and ready Rouge standing in the middle of it. She had made him wait because she refused to leave in her pajamas.

His frown deepened when he noticed the small bat and the ghost flying behind her. "Why didn't you leave them in your apartment, Rouge?"

The white-furred agent rose a brow. "And let my little ghosty here get out anyway? I assumed that we were bringing all of them with us."

"You assumed wrong." Shadow would rather not have tagalongs that could possibly slow them down. "Keep them in my apartment and tell the ghost to not leave." He gave the floating spirit a pointed look, and it avoided his gaze.

Rouge put a hand on her hip, smirking. "It's like you're asking for your place to be trashed, hun."

"Then we'll keep them in yours."

She rolled her eyes, used to his sour attitude. "Listen, the last thing we need is them somehow getting out and wandering downstairs into the club. I _will_ cry, Shadow, if any of the expensive stock ends up spilled on the floor." The hedgehog scoffed at that. Rouge grew more serious. "And plus, don't you want to observe them? They're mysteries! Why are some of the creatures attacking people while others-" She reached over to scratch under the other bat's chin. "-are adorable pets?"

Shadow didn't consider them pets quite yet. "They'll get in the way."

"Only _you _think so, Mr. Grouch." Rouge opposed. "I think that they'll be a help. They obviously understand each other, so what's to say that they won't understand the ones out there? It'll speed up the case for sure if we manage to get answers faster that way."

Shadow glared at her, trying and failing to bring up a counterargument.

Realizing that she had won, Rouge grinned. "Now, go wake up your little kittens so we can get this show on the road."

Shadow turned on his heel without another word. If things went south, it would be all on her.

He trudged back into his bedroom, walking right up to the sleeping blue cub. He poked it in the stomach and barked out, "Wake up." It didn't respond at first, and Shadow was about to do it again with more volume. However, the snores suddenly cut out and a dreary eye peered open.

"Let's go. We're leaving," Shadow ordered with no room for arguments.

The cub didn't move, instead whining out a sleepy, "Shi…"

Shadow hardened his gaze. "I'm not telling you again." There was a brief stare-down before the feline yawned, flipping over and stretching. Shadow nodded before leaving the room. He heard the other jump to the floor, following with soft steps.

Rouge looked up when Shadow returned, watching the drowsy cub. "Well, hello there." It looked up at her and the flying creatures before yawning once more. Rouge chuckled. "Sorry for disturbing your sleep, sugar, but we need all of you."

It plopped down in the middle of the space with a huff, ears dropping. "Shinx." The smaller bat and ghost surrounded it and tried to talk, but the cub wasn't having it. Not until it got more sleep.

Rouge smirked. "It reminds me of someone else I know."

Shadow rose a brow at her. "You?"

"_I_ don't get moody when I don't get enough sleep. You're borderline impossible to talk to." When Shadow rolled his eyes at her, clearly not going to entertain this argument even though she _might_ have a point, she asked, "Where's the other one?"

"I told you it's in the freezer."

"You were serious about that?" Instead of answering, Shadow motioned for Rouge to follow. She did with her newfound friends in tow. The cub stayed put, fighting sleep.

Rouge blinked in surprise once she reached the kitchen. Shadow, by the fridge, held the freezer door open. There was a bigger cat-like creature stuffed in there, deeply asleep. "Well, you don't see that every day."

"Noi noi!" the bat agreed, plopping down on her head. It was too cute for Rouge to get mad.

"Vus!" The ghost nodded and floated a bit closer in interest.

Like earlier, Shadow poked the black feline in its side. It stirred but didn't wake. Shadow did it again harder this time, and red eyes flew open in shock before settling on the hedgehog.

Shadow stepped back to allow the other some room. "You're coming with us. Get out."

"Sne?" Its gaze drifted to the others in the kitchen, blinking the sleep out of its eyes. Shadow didn't need to repeat himself, however, for feathered creature slid out of the freezer and onto the floor like it just hadn't endured below freezing temperatures. It raised its arms in a stretch, small flakes of ice sloughing from its fur and falling to the tile below.

Rubbing an eye, the feline looked at Shadow and muttered, "Sneasel sne?"

That was a question that Shadow couldn't exactly understand, but he had a good assumption it was something along the lines of _Where are we going_? "You'll see once we get there."

His guess proved right at the understanding nod he received. Then, it turned around and pointing one of its claws at the cereal boxes on the fridge. "Sne?"

Shadow frowned. "No." He had _just_ cleaned that mess up, and it couldn't be hungry enough yet to want more.

The creature frowned at him before begging over at the ghost, still pointing. "Sneasel?"

The spirit moved to comply until Shadow glared at it. "No_._ Leave it _alone._"

The ghost wisely backed off, and Rouge couldn't help to be amused by this. "Come on, Shadow! Obviously Sneasel wants a little snack for the road."

"It has _already_ eaten enough, and-" Shadow paused, rewinding to what she had said. "Sneasel?"

Rouge shrugged. "We have to call these darlings something, don't we? Sneasel is what it says, so to keep it simple, we should go with that." She pointed at the ghost and then at the bat on her head. "That's Misdreavus and this is Noibat. The other kitten in the room should go by…Shinx, right?"

Shadow wasn't going to argue her reasoning or the fact she thought it was important to do so in the first place. "Whatever floats your boat, Rouge." He then grabbed Sneasel's wrist, leading it out of the kitchen. It pouted but didn't struggle. Shadow frowned at how cold it was at the touch, but he figured it was because of the nap in the freezer and left it at that.

In the living room, Shinx had almost succumbed to sleep again, Shadow's return made it straighten its sagging head. Shadow wanted to keep them here even more after these interactions, but he realized that the pros outweighed the cons…for now.

Shadow stood by Shinx and let go of Sneasel, who was now free to cross its arms with puffed cheeks. Once Rouge and her followers were close enough, he asked, "Are you ready?"

She nodded. "Ready when you are, hun."

Shadow tapped into the boundness energy emitting from the Chaos emerald hidden in his quills and uttered, "Chaos Control."

There was a surge of chaotic power within him that burst out, engulfing everyone around in a bright light. Once it cleared, they were surrounded by rustling leaves and a cool breeze that caressed their faces.

All sleep was gone from Shinx's system now as it, along with the other creatures, looked around in shock. "Shinx shi?"

Rouge gestured to the greenery surrounding them. "Welcome to Mystic Ruins! We're aiming to find more of you out here."

"Noi?" Noibat's surprise morphed into excitement when it flew off of Rouge's head, circling around the group. "Noibat bat!" it cheered. Misdreavus began to do the same thing, its joyous cries mixing with the bat's.

Shadow sighed at the noise. "Control them," he told Rouge, looking off in a random direction. "Let's start our search." He glanced back at Shinx and Sneasel. "You two better keep up."

Rouge tisked when he started up his rocket skates. "Always the buzzkill." She spread her wings, reassuring the others. "He shouldn't go that fast because we're here to look and we don't want to _miss_ anything, right Shadow?"

"Sure." He hadn't planned on going full speed anyway. He wasn't stupid enough to blast through here scaring away the very things they were looking for. However, that didn't mean that he was crawling through the forest either.

With no more words, Shadow skated off. He peered over his shoulder to find Rouge flying after him, trailed by Noibat and Misdreavus. Shinx was running, making an attempt to keep up, but Sneasel was just standing there, watching Shadow get farther away.

Frustration grew within him because they didn't need distractions like this, but it all nearly fizzled out when Sneasel sprinted, no…_skated_ after him.

Astonished, Shadow slowed to a stop as he observed the other's movements, Rouge doing the same. Sneasel was copying his form, swishing back and forth on…was that _ice_ being created under its feet?

It was grinning victoriously as it quickly closed the distance, leaving a trail of glittering ice behind. Once it caught up, Sneasel skidded to a halt, looking proud of itself.

Rouge was staring at the ice like it would soon disappear in a puff of smoke. "Maybe that's why it was sleeping in the freezer…?"

In contrast to the black feline's smile, Shadow was frowning. These things had _powers?_ That put an entirely different spin on their current mission. Not only did they have a chance of being attacked, now they had a chance of being frozen along with who _knew_ what else.

Curiosity at its max now, Shadow looked over at Shinx, who was pawing at the melting ice. "What abilities do you have?"

"Shi?" Shinx tilted its head at him as the yellow bands on its front legs began to glow. Small strings of static jumped between the furs for a few seconds before eventually fading away.

"Electricity…" Shadow breathed out, completely thrown for a loop.

Rouge was no better, but she managed a smug grin. "Bet you're glad that we brought them along now, huh?"

He ignored her, focusing on Misdreavus. "Your ability is being a ghost-" His attention snapped to Noibat, looking it over. "-what about you?"

The fluttering bat had no time to respond, for string shot out of a nearby bush, rocketing through the air. Shadow barely had the _thought_ of shouting Chaos Control when his body was tightly wrapped in the stuff. His legs and his arms were forcefully bound, so there was nothing to cushion his fall to the unforgiving ground.

"Dammit!" He cursed upon landing, his cheek taking the brunt of the fall. Shadow struggled to escape the binding, but it was impossible. The string painfully stuck to his fur. There was _no_ give at all.

Shadow was about to ask Rouge _why_ the hell she didn't catch him, but then her wrapped body crash-landed beside his. The white string covered her from the neck down, constricting any movement.

She hissed upon impact. "What in the-? What _is_ this disgusting stuff?!"

Shadow didn't have an answer for her, a slew of curses echoing in his mind as every attempt to escape fell through.

"Noi noi!" He glanced up to see Noibat facing the bushes the string had originated from. Then, visible sound waves pulsed from its large ears, distorting the air around it. Cries emitted from the foliage when the attack landed, and the others wasted no time.

Sneasel dove into the bushes, and two green spiders with red pincers were thrown out into the open. "Spin!" they cried when they bounced against the ground. The duo was shaky when they stood up, wobbling back and forth like they would trip over their many feet any minute. The spiders seemed confused, walking around in circles, their milky eyes focusing on everything but their targets.

Shinx growled at them, fur bristling. It charged the nearest one, tackling it full force. The spider skidded along the ground, but Shinx didn't let it get back up. It rushed the bug once more, knocking the annoyance away again. The spider didn't move after that.

The bug's partner received the same treatment. Instead of being forcefully hit, it was engulfed in a purple energy wave that had been shot out of Misdreavus' mouth.

"Spinarak!" the spider hissed in pain before slumping to the ground, unconscious.

Sneasel, who had climbed back out of the bushes, saw the bodies and smirked. "Sne! Snea…" It, and everyone else, was stunned when the two spiders then faded away like they were nothing. "…sel?"

Rouge slowly blinked, more confused than those spiders had been. "What just _happened?_"

Shadow was pissed that they had been attacked by those weak things, but they had one trait that he'd noticed. "Did you see that their eyes were pale?"

"Really?" Rouge faced him as best as she could, severely unenthused. "So, the creatures we were looking for just disappeared, and we're left stuck in sickening stringy goo. What else could go wrong?"

A bit of a distance away, a voice rang out, "Hey, guys? I think I heard voices coming from over here!"

Shadow deadpanned at her because there was no mistaking Sonic's grating voice. He could already feel the irritation and humiliation creeping up.

Rouge had the decency to be somewhat guilty, but then her grin sharply contrasted the look. "At least we're getting saved, so don't be like that."

Shadow deeply sighed and braced for the inevitable.

* * *

**So all of the pokémon in the forest are hostile, huh? Well, that can't be good…**


End file.
